News
WWT becomes a formal partner on the Ramsar Convention
WWT became a formal partner of the global convention for wetlands – the Ramsar Convention – earlier this month. WWT Chief Executive Martin Spray joined Acting Secretary General of Ramsar, Ania Grobicki, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding that plac
28 June 2016
Cranes pushed to the edge by floods on the Somerset Levels
A flock of cranes that ended up at the centre of a once-in-200-year flood has given researchers a rare insight into how wildlife copes with extreme weather. The cranes’ progress was being tracked by researchers from the University of Exeter, the Wildfo
27 June 2016
Dragonfly Hotspot attracts an amazing giant LEGO® brick dragonfly called Emily!
WWT Caerlaverock is set to become a Dragonfly Hotspot in partnership with the British Dragonfly Society (BDS). In celebration, a giant LEGO brick sculpture of a dragonfly will visit us during the summer, alongside its living counterparts. The world’s m
21 June 2016
New behaviour seen in rare wading birds
A ménage-a-trois between breeding black-tailed godwits has been witnessed for the first time ever by staff at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) in Norfolk. Staff monitoring the rare birds at WWT’s Welney reserve, one of only two places in the UK
16 June 2016
Eggs mean fresh hope for spoon-billed sandpipers
One of the world’s rarest birds has a new hope: it’s laid eggs in captivity for the first time. Seven eggs have been laid so far by two spoon-billed sandpipers at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, UK. The flock wa
14 June 2016
Soil is as important as air and water
Soil sampling Blog post by Hannah Freeman, Chair of Blueprint for Water and WWT's Government Affairs Officer: We are dependent on healthy soils. Our soils are not only valuable for growing the food we eat; soil qualit
13 June 2016
Happy birthday Your Majesty
Prince Harry chats with WWT supporters WWT supporters joined our Patron, Her Majesty the Queen, for an official birthday lunch in the Mall with supporters of all the charities who benefit from her support. At WWT we l
13 June 2016
Flamingo "school disco" research wins gold for WWT
It's beneficial for flamingos to scrap over their nesting area. It makes them feel possessive and gives them ownership of a nest mound. Research revealing the complex social life of the flamboyant flamingo has won a s
9 June 2016
From backbenches to Brussels and back again
The story of nature’s champions: Blog post by Richard Benwell, WWT Head of Government Affairs wraps up the EU Referendum, Private Members Bill and a 25 year plan for nature: Drawing by Wolfgang Ammer, published in New St
7 June 2016
People and wildlife to benefit from China/WWT agreement
British and Chinese wetlands could benefit from an agreement to share conservation expertise, signed today between the Chinese Government and UK charity the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT). The agreement opens the door to share technology to design an
31 May 2016
What's your favourite duck?
Blog post by Phoebe Vaughan, Aviculture Warden. Read Phoebe's regular Duck Diary blog or take a behind-the-scenes duckery tour at Castle Espie, Llanelli, Martin Mere and Slimbridge wetland centres - while the ducklings are still downy! Phoebe's blogs a
31 May 2016
Wildlife sightings for 22nd May 2016
2 Shelduck - main lake and scrape 1 Little Egret - scrape 5 Common Tern - main lake May bird highlights: Shelduck, Little Egret, Knot, Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Greenshank, Ringed Plover, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Ic
22 May 2016
Chewing gum cleaner used to weed wetland!
No, we're not vacuuming, we're weeding! A wetland nature reserve has found a novel use for a machine that usually cleans chewing gum and graffiti from towns and streets. WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre in Lancashire is
18 May 2016
Meet the UK's newest birdwatching hide - it's got 16 sides!
The interlocking roof means no pillars are needed Britain’s newest birdwatching hide is a 16-sided wooden gazebo with “surround sight” lagoon views, a close-up kingfisher pool, and a wildlife-friendly roof at th
16 May 2016
WWT welcomes Government's new homes flooding announcement
Rain runs off the roofs and parking spaces - into a wildlife-rich wetland Rules to stop new homes in England from causing flooding might not be working, so the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) is welcoming a Government announcement to review them. New h
13 May 2016